Imaginary Stories: Chapter Three (** Draft **)

(The following will no doubt make slightly more sense if you've read Chapter One and Chapter Two first!)

Chapter Three: The Villain

"And that heated debate at the Royal Albert Hall was only the beginning. As the two men matched wits in contest after contest, their fates became increasingly - and inextricably - linked. Newspapers of the day captured the ebb and flow of the battle with headlines like Allen vs Jeffries - Who's Right?, Jeffries Asks: "Why Can't Nigel Not Read?", Jeffries to Allen: "It's Immoral!", Allen Stands Firm Despite Opposition, and Let The Law Decide!

No other topic had held the attention of so many, for so long, since the time of Jack of Ripper, nearly two decades earlier. It was as if the very fate of the country hung in the balance, were you to ask some of those in the Allen and Jeffries camps. When the debate finally moved into the English court system, police were required to blockade the entrances in order to keep the most fervent members of the public from turning the courtroom into a circus."
- "The Villain", Coming Of Age Tale, Laurel Allen (Born 1982), Published 1997

"It's the foundation of modern society, Linus," Laurel said evenly. "We just passed the centennial of the Literary Revolution last year. What part of it are you struggling with?" She mentally added, besides the part about not wanting to write your own COAT, that is, but feared that her pupil would only withdraw into himself if she were to take that tack with him.

Linus Morgan looked from face to face, scanning the four students' faces around him. He hadn't really expected to see any support there, and therefore wasn't surprised by how little he actually perceived. "So I'm the only one who finds the whole COAT concept strange, then. That's fine. But would someone care to connect the dots for me? Or am I just too stupid to get it?"

Laurel reached out and touched Linus briefly on the arm. "You're not stupid, Linus, and you know it. None of you are." She unintentionally repeated the action of a moment ago, as she glanced from student to student, following the same arc that Linus' gaze had prescribed. "It's not all that common for young men or women to question the value of the COATs anymore, since it's been a part of our culture for so long now that it's generally just accepted. But it still happens, and that's probably a healthy sign all on its own."

"Our very own Doubting Thomas, that's Linus!" chimed in James, in a characteristic move to lighten the mood. "He wouldn't believe in gravity if it didn't keep dropping apples on his noggin!"

"Gravity's a law of Nature, James!" Linus' replied, eyes flashing. "COATs are entirely man-made, and all I'm asking is, why do we place such faith in their relevance? Has anyone ever proven that it's really all that important that you write your own little piece of forgettable literature as a requirement to join society as a full-fledged member? I mean, doesn't that sound ridiculous to anyone but me?"

Peter answered, "Ridiculous, or intimidating? Is it that you don't see the value, or that you don't want to do the work?"

Laurel wasn't sure whether to be thankful that Peter had called Linus on the very point that she'd been thinking about herself, or angry that he'd potentially put his fellow student and friend on the defensive. In either case, she said, "Let's not make this personal, Peter. Linus has raised a valid concern today, and we should all be able to discuss it as such."

Elizabeth looked at Linus but directed her words at her teacher as she said, "And it's a topic that you're something of an expert on." Only then did she turn her gaze toward Laurel. "Aren't you?"

"What do you mean, Liz?" Sanjay asked. "Did Miss Allen rail against writing her COAT back when she was in school, too?" His own personal interest in rebellion was something that he tended to wear on his sleeve, and today was no exception.

"Or are you just remarking on the common surnames involved: William Allen then, Laurel Allen now?" Peter offered, as he struggled to follow the thread started by Elizabeth. Why is she always one step ahead of the rest of us, he silently wondered. Or does it just feel that way to me?

"Do you mean to tell me that none of you have read Miss Allen's COAT?" Elizabeth inquired, with perhaps just a little more derision than she'd intended.

"Um, I meant to..." James said, looking down. "It was on my To Do list, I swear!"

Laurel cleared her throat quietly and said, "Liz, it's hardly Required Reading in this class, or any other. It's nice that you've read it, but with the billions of COATs out there in the Hive, I'm not sure anyone should be wasting their time reading mine!"

"Alright, I'll be the one to say it: I'm completely lost at this point," James volunteered. "What's the connection between your COAT and what Linus has been talking about?"

"May I?" Elizabeth asked, looking at Laurel with the same expression that she always wore when she was the only student in class who knew the answer to a particularly tough puzzle.

At least you asked first, Liz, Laurel thought to herself. But you still can't help resembling the cat that swallowed the canary, can you? Pointedly, she said, "Only if you dial down the sarcasm and remember that we're all friends here, Elizabeth. Can you do that for me?"

The Chinese teenager looked briefly like she'd been slapped in the face with a cold fish but then her features relaxed as she remembered words that her teacher had said to her, one-on-one, earlier in the year: Nobody likes a smart ass, Liz. And you don't elevate yourself by putting down others. "Yes, ma'am, I can." She continued, "The title of Miss Allen's COAT, from '97, is The Villain. It has what I think is a pretty ingenious concept at its core - "

James snorted and was just about to start making kissing sounds when Sanjay, seated beside him, elbowed him in the ribs and hissed, "Shhhh!"

Elizabeth continued, " - which is that it follows the turmoil caused by a man named Richard Jeffries, who challenged William Allen during the early days of the Literary Revolution."

Sanjay said, "I don't recall that name from my studies, Miss Allen. Has history simply forgotten him?"

Before the teacher could respond, Elizabeth said, "No, that's just it, you see. He never existed! Miss Allen made him up, and inserted him into that time in history."

"But why?" Linus asked. "What was the point?"

This time, Elizabeth looked to her teacher for direction.

"Keep going, young lady," Laurel said, with a smile. "You're doing just fine!"

"Well, I'm only speculating, but it seems fairly clear from the work itself that she wanted to bring out into the light some of the very same doubts that Linus has been expressing here today. Huh. I hadn't really considered it in that way when I read The Villain originally, but sitting here now, in the midst of this conversation, that's what occurs to me. Am I way off the mark, Miss Allen?"

"No, not at all. Although it was perhaps less about doubts and more about simply wanting to explore the question, from all angles, for my own peace of mind."

"Did anything like that actually happen, back in the early 20th century?" Peter asked. "I know you made this... Jeffries?... character up, but was he based on someone real?"

"Not that I know of," Laurel answered. "I did as much research on the period as I could afford at the time. Just as we teach in class, the whole thing started slowly - and locally - and then built upon itself over time, as the results started to exhibit themselves. Not terribly dramatic, really. I was struck by the thought, when I was your age, that it really ought to have been more full of Sturm und Drang, so I wrote The Villain to provide that, and to give me a chance to consider the Literary Revolution as the people of the time might've, if things had gone differently."

"Hey!" James said, "You made it into a real revolution! Now I want to read your COAT!"

"So do I," said Linus.

Laurel couldn't tell from his tone if that was good news or bad, but since their session was over for the day, she left it at that.